Glossary

AFM

Acronym for Adobe Font Metrics. AFM and PPD files are supplied by Adobe and by printer vendors. These files contain information about the printer. Along with other parameters, these files are read for the information about the available fonts for the printer, which Oracle Reports will use. For all the fonts listed in the PPD file, Oracle Reports searches for the corresponding AFM file according to the font name and loads all of the fonts for which there is an available AFM.

CGI

Acronym for Common Gateway Interface. A standard for transferring information between a Web server and a CGI program. CGI specifies how to pass arguments to the program as part of the HTTP request, and defines a set of environment variables that are made available to the program. The program then generates output to pass back to the browser. CGI provides server-side processing to allow Web servers to interact dynamically with users.

column

A vertical space in a database table that represents a particular domain of data. A column has a column name (for example, ENAME) and a specific datatype (for example, CHAR). For example, in a table of employee information, all of the employees' names would constitute one column. A record group column represents a database column.

A data model object created automatically for each column expression in a query's SELECT list, or created manually to perform summaries, formulas, or act as a placeholder.

The representation of an attribute of an entity.

data model

A relational model that defines what data should be fetched from the data source(s), what values should be computed, and how data should be ordered in a report. Reports Builder objects that define the data model are queries, groups, columns, parameters, and links.

Data Model view

One of the views of the Report Editor that displays a structural representation of the data in a report. The objects do not appear in the report output, but the structure determines the layout style, and the data objects provide the values that appear in the layout objects.

database

A set of dictionary tables and user tables that are treated as a unit.

(Oracle Express) A single file (possibly accompanied by extension files) that contains objects that organize, store, and manipulate data. In Express, examples of such objects are variables, dimensions, formulas, models, and programs.

data source

A source for data returned by a query, including database objects such as tables, views, synonyms, snapshots, and queries stored as views. Oracle Reports Services enables you to access any data source.

The new pluggable data source (PDS) architecture replaces Oracle Open Client Adapter (OCA), and the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers are no longer supported in Oracle Reports 10g. However, Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) is one of the pluggable data sources available that can utilize the JDBC-ODBC bridge, allowing access to other data sources.

detail query

When defining a master/detail report, the detail query retrieves all related records for each record retrieved by the master, or parent, query.

dialog box

A partial screen or window that prompts you to enter information necessary to complete an operation.

disabled

An interface element state that means a menu item, button, and so on, cannot be used in the current context (that is, it does not respond to keyboard or mouse input).

An interface element state that means that a menu item, button, and so on, can be used in the current context (that is, it responds to keyboard or cursor/mouse input).

field

An interface element in which you enter, edit, or delete data.

A layout object that defines how the data for a specific query column appears.

foreign key

A value or column in one table that refers to a primary key in another table.

format mask

A setting that defines the appearance of the value of a field. For example, a format mask is used to specify the display of currency amounts and dates.

format trigger

A PL/SQL function that enables you to dynamically change the formatting attributes of an object.

formula column

A user-created column that gets its data from a PL/SQL function or expression, a SQL statement, or a combination of these.

frame

A layout object used to enclose other layout objects and control the formatting, frequency, and positioning of several objects simultaneously.

group

In Reports Builder, a data model object that is created automatically to contain all the columns selected by a query, or created by the user to modify the hierarchy of the data appearing in a report; it is used primarily for creating breaks in a report, as well as for resetting computations.

An object that is composed of several other objects.

HTML

Acronym for HyperText Markup Language. A tag-based ASCII language used to specify the content and links to other documents on Web servers on the Internet. End users with Web browsers view HTML documents and follow links to display other documents.

HTTP

Acronym for HyperText Transfer Protocol. The protocol used to carry Web traffic between a Web browser computer and the Web server being accessed.

hyperlink

A reference (link) from some point in one document to (some point in) another document or another place in the same document. A Web browser usually displays a hyperlink in some distinguishing way (in a different color, font or style). When users activate hyperlinks (by clicking on them with a mouse) the browser displays the target of the link.

IANA

Acronym for Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. An organization working under the auspices of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) that is responsible for assigning new Internet-wide IP addresses. IANA-defined character sets refers to those character sets that can be defined for the charset tag and may be used in the Internet.

icon

A graphic representation of a window or tool.

image

A bitmapped object that can be stored and loaded into an application. The client cannot modify an imported image.

intranet

An internal TCP/IP network, access to which is restricted (through a firewall) to individuals inside the company or organization. An intranet provides similar services within an organization to those provided by the Internet, but is not necessarily connected to the Internet. A common example of an intranet is when a company sets up one or more Web servers on an internal network for distribution of information or applications within the company.

Java

A computer language that supports programming for the Internet in the form of platform-independent "servlets" or "applets".

JAR

Acronym for Java ARchive. A file used for aggregating many files (Java class files, images, and so on) into one file.

J2EE

Acronym for Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition. An environment for developing and deploying enterprise applications in Java consisting of a set of services, application programming interfaces, and protocols that provide for developing multitiered, Web-based applications.

JSP

Acronym for JavaServer Page. JSP technology is an extension to the Java Servlet technology from Sun Microsystems that provides a simple programming vehicle for displaying dynamic content on a Web page. JSP is a server-side technology. A JSP is an HTML page with embedded Java source code that is executed in the Web server. The HTML provides the page layout that is returned to the Web browser, and the Java provides the business logic.

An optional report region that appears at the top and bottom of each logical page in a report section (Header, Main, or Trailer). The margin may include any layout object, but typically contains boilerplate and fields (for page numbers, page totals, grand totals, and current date and time).

object

An item that can be placed on the layout. The following are examples of objects: rectangle, line, ellipse, arc, polygon, polyline, rounded rectangle, freehand, chart, text, symbol, and text field.

In an Oracle database, an instance of an object type. An object can be a row in an object table, or the portion of a row contained in a column object in a relational table.

Object Navigator

A hierarchical browsing and editing interface that enables you to locate and manipulate application objects quickly and easily. Features include:

Combines leading Oracle application development and business intelligence tools into a single, integrated product. Built on Internet standards such as Java and XML, the suite provides a complete and highly productive development environment for building applications for Oracle Application Server and the Oracle database.

ORACLE_INSTANCE

An alternate name for the top directory in the Oracle directory hierarchy on some directory-based operating systems. An environment variable that indicates the root directory of Oracle products.

You can refer to the directory specified by ORACLE_INSTANCE in syntax:

On UNIX: $ORACLE_INSTANCE

On Windows: %ORACLE_INSTANCE%

Oracle Portal

A browser-based development tool for building scalable, secure, extensible HTML applications and Web sites. Oracle Reports Services uses Oracle Portal to control end user access to reports published on the Web by storing information about report requests, the secured server, and any Oracle Reports Services printer used to print report output.

One of the views of the Report Editor that displays output for paper reports and enables you to make many commonly required, simple modifications to the layout, such as spacing, formatting fields, color, and editing text, without having to open the Paper Layout view.

Paper Layout view

One of the views of the Report Editor that displays the layout objects in a paper report and enables you to make many modifications to any layout object. All layout objects have properties that you can modify using the Property Inspector. The hierarchy of the layout objects is determined by the Data Model.

Paper Parameter Form view

Displays the layout of the Parameter Form that, at runtime, allows user input of parameter values in the Runtime Parameter Form.

PDF

Acronym for Portable Document Format. A file format (native for Adobe Acrobat) for representing documents in a manner that is independent of the original application software, hardware, and operating system used to create the documents. A PDF file can describe documents containing any combination of text, graphics, and images in a device-independent and resolution independent format.

PL/SQL

Oracle's proprietary extension to the SQL language. Adds procedural and other constructs to SQL that make it suitable for writing applications.

PPD

Acronym for PostScript Printer Definition. PPD and AFM files are supplied by Adobe and by printer vendors. These files contain information about the printer. Along with other parameters, these files are read for the information about the available fonts for the printer, which Oracle Reports will use. For all the fonts listed in the PPD file, Oracle Reports searches for the corresponding AFM file according to the font name and loads all of the fonts for which there is an available AFM.

Property Inspector

A window that enables you to view, locate, and set the properties of the currently selected object(s) in the Object Navigator, Report Editor, and Template Editor. Every Reports Builder object (query, group, frame, parameter, and so on) has associated properties that can be viewed using the Property Inspector. The Property Inspector features:

expandable and collapsible nodes

in-place property editing

search features

multiselection

complex property dialogs

the ability to invoke multiple instances of the Property Inspector

To get help on any property, click the property in the Property Inspector and press F1.

query

A SQL SELECT statement that specifies the data you wish to retrieve from one or more tables or views of a database.

RDF file

A file that contains a single report definition in binary format. .RDF files are used to both run and edit reports.

record

One row fetched by a SQL SELECT statement.

REP file

A file that contains a single report definition in binary format. .REP files are used solely to run reports; you cannot edit a .REP file.

repeating frame

A layout object used to display rows of data that are fetched for a group.

An Oracle Reports executable, also known as the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) or Reports Web Cartridge, that translates and delivers information between either a Web Server or a J2EE Container and the Reports Server, to run a report dynamically from your Web browser.

Reports Client (rwclient)

An Oracle Reports executable that provides a command line interface to send a report to a remote Reports Server (rwserver).

Report Editor

The Oracle Reports Builder window that provides different views to help you handle the data objects and layout objects for Web and paper reports. The views are:

A component of Oracle Reports Services that translates and delivers information between either a Web Server or a J2EE Container and the Reports Server, enabling you to run a report dynamically from your Web browser.

row

One set of field values in a table; for example, the fields representing one employee in the example table EMP.

Runtime Parameter Form

A screen or window appearing optionally at runtime in which a user can modify print options and parameters prior to report execution.

A SQL statement that specifies which rows and columns to fetch from one or more tables or views.

servlet

A Java application that runs in a Web server or application server and provides server-side processing, typically to access a database or perform e-commerce processing. Because they are written in Java, servlets are portable between servers and operating systems.

The Reports Servlet (rwservlet) and JSP are components of Oracle Reports Services that process custom (JSP) report tags and deliver information between the Oracle HTTP Server and the Reports Server.

SQL

A standard interface for storing and retrieving information in a relational database. SQL is an acronym for Structured Query Language.

SQL file

A file that contains a query stored in text (for example, ASCII or EBCDIC) format.

SQL script

A file containing SQL statements that you can run to perform database administration quickly and easily. Several SQL scripts are shipped with Oracle products.

SQL statement

A SQL instruction to Oracle. A SELECT statement is one type of SQL statement.

style sheet

HTML extensions that provide powerful formatting flexibility in HTML documents. To view an HTML document that takes advantage of style sheets, display it in a browser that supports style sheets.

table

A named collection of related information, stored in a relational database or server, in a two-dimensional grid that is made up of rows and columns.

tabular

A default layout displaying labels at the top of the page and rows of data underneath the labels.

template

A skeleton definition containing common style and standards, and may include graphics. A template provides a standard format to enable quick and easy development of professional standard look-and-feel reports.

Template Editor

A work area in which you can define objects and formatting properties for your templates. It is similar to the Paper Layout view of the Report Editor. You can create, delete, and modify objects (for example, page numbers, text, and graphics) in the margin area. You cannot create and delete objects in the body area, but you can modify the properties of body objects in the Property Inspector.

tool

An iconic button used to create and manipulate objects in an application.

tool palette

A collection of tools represented by iconic buttons in the user interface that allow a report developer to perform tasks, such as drawing a rectangle in the Paper Layout view or creating a query in the Data Model view.

toolbar

A collection of iconic buttons that perform product commands. Usually aligned horizontally along the top, or vertically down the side of a window.

URL

Acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. A compact string representation of the location for a resource that is available through the Internet. It is also the text string format clients use to encode requests to OracleAS.

view

In Reports Builder, a work area in which you perform a specific set of tasks, such as defining a report data model, layout, or Parameter Form.

A virtual table whose rows do not actually exist in the database, but which is based on a table that is physically stored in the database.

Web browser

A program that end users utilize to read HTML documents and programs stored on a computer (serviced by a Web server).

Web server

A server process (HTTP daemon) running at a Web site which sends out Web pages in response to HTTP requests from remote Web browsers.

Web Source view

One of the views of the Report Editor that displays the HTML or JSP source for a report. You can use this view to add dynamic content to a Web page using the Report Block Wizard and the Graph Wizard. Experienced Java developers can edit the Web source directly in this view.

wizard

A step-by-step interface for commonly performed tasks. The wizards in Reports Builder are:

Report Wizard: guides you through the steps to create a basic paper or Web report. Each page of the wizard asks you for information to help you create your initial report.

Data Wizard: helps you helps you quickly define or modify a query for a multiquery data models.

Acronym for Extensible Markup Language. A metalanguage using SGML to define and structure data. Reports Builder supports XML output to enable Web publishing as well as electronic data exchange with third-party applications. You can also use XML to build report definitions that can be merged with other report definitions at runtime or run separately.

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